The Wild One
The Wild One is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. It features a 450° spiral helix and a series of bunny hills that produce a significant amount of air time. The wooden coaster was previously known as Giant Coaster when it was located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. It operated there from 1917 to 1984. History When the roller coaster first opened in 1917, it was a double out and back side friction coaster called "The Giant Coaster" at Paragon Park in Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, just under 25 miles (40 km) south of Boston. Then, in 1932, Herbert Paul Schmeck redesigned much of the ride after it was partially destroyed by fire. In April 1963, another fire destroyed the station, trains, double helix finale and part of the lift hill. The park wanted John C. Allen to rebuild the coaster as it was, but his estimate proved too high for the traditional park. Instead he left out two bunny hops and the helix finale in order to create an angled approach into the brake run. Although nowhere near as exciting as Miller's finish, Allen gave the park an affordable option to tearing down the coaster. On July 19, 1963, Forest Park Highlands burned but the Comet was still standing. The Comet was torn down in 1968. Paragon Park bought the used trains from Forest Park Highland's Comet because they were much cheaper than buying new ones from Philadelphia Toboggan Company. For the remaining years the park was open, the Giant Coaster's trains ran with the name "Comet" emblazoned across the front of the car. "The Giant Coaster" suddenly closed with Paragon Park in 1984 and was sold to Wild World (now Six Flags America.) It acquired the ride in a last minute bid at auction. In 1986, Wild One opened in its current location, restored to its original condition, reincorporating the original helix at the end of the ride. Some of this retracking was completed by Martin & Vleminckx. Wild One did not open for the 1991 season since the park was having financial difficulties. It reopened for the 1992 season and has been operational ever since. The ride kept its name even though its themed area Southwest Territory was replaced with a Mardi Gras section in 2014. Records *When "The Giant Coaster" opened in 1917, at 98 feet tall, it was the tallest roller coaster in the world. Its record was not surpassed until 1925 when the 100' tall Revere Beach Cyclone opened. Info You’re not going to believe this, but the massive wooden roller coaster you’re about to ride was built in 1917. You’re about to see why sometimes the classics stick around for a reason. Of course it has been redesigned and lovingly restored many times since then. But now’s your chance to dart around like countless coaster fans before you through history, on this classic, tall wooden structure. You can’t miss this beautiful, iconic, sprawling piece of wooden architecture on any map of Six Flags. Its ridiculously long form cuts right through the center of the park. At 96 feet tall and zooming over the tracks at 45 miles per hour, this whooshy race over the rails is as classic as it gets. The time-tested wooden design guarantees maximum airtime on a series of hills. You won’t believe how ultra-smooth the action is through a 450-degree helix. But quality is the number one reason The Wild One has stood the test of time. The very long layout will give you the sense of a never-ending joyride through space. And when you think about it, given the history of this colossal classic, you’re really traveling through time itself. Category:List